


The Planet that it's Farthest from

by Iva1201



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ben Solo Lives, F/M, Fix-It, Force Ghost(s), Happy Ending, Healing, Kylo Ren Redemption, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Redeemed Ben Solo, Resurrection, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, Tatooine (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-17 21:48:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21900226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iva1201/pseuds/Iva1201
Summary: What I think should have happened at the end of The Rise of Skywalker. The story remains the same as in the movie up until Rey's arrival to Tatooine. Enjoy - and beware - spoilers ahead!A fix-it post-TRoS fic.Currently a two-shot with a possibility that I might expand this by one or two more chapters in the future.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 1
Kudos: 65





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILERS!!!! I went to see The Rise of Skywalker yesterday. Quite honestly, I did love the previous movie - and I was afraid that this one would destroy it, so I read a few infos ahead (like who Rey was) - which made me able to enjoy also this movie, eventhough I was afraid of watching it. And yes, it was to be expected that the redeemed character of Ben Solo would die in the end - and he actually had a meaningful death - but as with all my other favorite redeemed characters (Anakin/Vader, Snape in Harry Potter, Boromir in Lords of the Rings), I am in denial about the necessity of his death. And henceforth - here I offer my alternative ending. Enjoy! SPOILERS!!!!

The Galaxy was celebrating the defeat of the Darkness and she most likely should not be here, not on this desert planet, away from all that joy and triumph. Finn and Poe did not want her to go, to disappear like this – especially not when she was one of the main reasons they could celebrate at all. But she could not stand it, to be seen as their greatest hero, not when the other person who made this all possible sacrificed so much so that she could even be here – to live and breathe and feel the great joy – and equally great sadness and loss as he was gone.

This is why she had to go – and for some reason it seemed fitting to visit the planet where this all started, where Anakin Skywalker was born to a human mother and the Force itself, where Luke Skywalker grew up sheltered by his aunt and uncle who were wary of the very same Force – secretly protected by the man who had once used to be a famous Jedi General in the Clone Wars and who opted to become a solitary hermit just to make it possible for the Galaxy to get a chance for balance, for the defeat of the evil one day in the far future, being guided here also by the great power called the Force. _The man who her Ben was named after._ Yes, it seemed right to come here to Tatooine – and grieve for the future she had secretly dreamt about to be lost forever.

She found the Lars’ homestead, empty and covered in sand, the relicts of the long past lives of desert farmers still remaining in the abandoned house. She cleared the sand from a part of the living area and went to sleep in one of the rooms, judging by the faded decoration and the feeling in the Force the one that had once been used by young Luke. Exhausted as she was she did not dream – and when she woke up the next morning, she actually felt refreshed for the first time since before they had started to search for Exegol.

She packed out her ration bars on the old kitchen table and flushed them down with the water from her remaining supplies – thinking she might need to look into the farm’s water collection system should she stay any longer. After breakfast, once the table was empty, she took out the two Lightsabers from her sack – the one that had once belonged to Luke lying just next to the one Leia had built for herself a lifetime ago. They made it possible for her and Ben to defeat the Emperor for good – one of the most important things that have ever happened in this Galaxy, and yet, yet, they felt so useless – and she so empty and alone – now.

Gazing at the Lightsabers for a long time, she finally decided that they belonged to the past, to honor those who had once wielded them. Nodding to herself, she took them from the table together with the leather wrapping she brought them in – and went out of the house, climbing up to the higher sandy ground surrounding the farm. She laid the two sabers and the leather on the sand, wrapping the Jedi weapons ceremoniously in the skin and then rose and summoned the Force to bury them deep in the sand.

The Force listened to her and the Lightsabers sank deeper and deeper in the moving sand until she could see them no longer. She felt as if the Force would like to offer her a gift to repay this sacrifice of hers and she almost felt a hilt of a completely new Lightsaber created just for her in her hand. She shook her head in denial, though – no, she did not want to fight any longer. The thing, the person, she wished the most to share the peace with was not here and that was what was making her terribly sad.

All around her the Force seemed to give an understanding nod – and she feared that It will abandon her now too and she would remain alone as she had never been before. She closed her eyes, dreading this moment. But, instead, she once more felt something in her outstretched hand, this time warmer and moving – a calloused human hand giving a squeeze to her own fingers. Reluctantly, afraid of what she might be offered this time, she opened her eyes – and saw the very person she missed so much and believed to have died on Exegol right in front of her.

“Ben,” she whispered. “You are back.”

He nodded. “Yes, I am. Thank you, Rey.”

She felt relieved tears streaming down her cheeks then – and his other hand, the one not holding hers, attempting to brush them away. 

They stood like this for a long time, neither of them wanting to disrupt the precious moment. Finally, her tears ebbed and she smiled up at his scarred face. “Come,” she said and gently pulled him by his arm.

He nodded and followed her towards the homestead his Uncle and his Great-grandmother before him had lived in so many years ago – a home he himself had not really had for far too many years. Perhaps they would stay here for some time, possibly forever; maybe they would leave and never come back – he did not really care, as long as they were together and he finally felt at peace. 

They almost reached the farm houses when a local woman riding along surprised them saying how the farm had long stood empty and asking who they were.

He did not trust himself to speak to a stranger as of yet – so Rey did it for them both. “We are Ben and Rey,” she smiled at the woman, squeezing his hand.

“Ben and Rey – who?” The stranger was curious to learn their surnames.

She could say Ben Solo and Rey Palpatine, she supposed. But she did not like to be associated with that person from Exegol – and Ben would most likely very much profit from not being recognized so easily, at least for now. There was one more option, she thought – but was not sure if she could really use that surname.

At that point the blueish figures of Leia and Luke appeared in front of them, nodding their agreement while smiling at the pair of their heirs. Rey thanked them silently and aloud said: “Skywalker.”

The stranger nodded and said: “Welcome, Ben and Rey Skywalker.” Then she turned away to follow in her journey.

Hand in hand, Ben and Rey watched her go – while the Force ghosts of Luke and Leia kept fondly smiling at them.

The Galaxy was finally at peace.


	2. Chapter 2

This whole thing, this strange reality should not have been there for him, not when he as good as died on Exegol, giving his remaining life force to her, so that she could live and thrive and change the Galaxy for the better – as his Mother and Uncle and everyone else fighting alongside them had longed for for so long. Including Father, _Han_ – who he himself had killed. And for what? Empty glory? Greater power in the Dark Side? Dominance in the Galaxy? All of that seemed ludicrous to him now. Kylo Ren was dead – and so should have been Ben Solo, no matter how his priorities had changed since he had met the girl.

And yet, yet, here he was and she was leading him by her much smaller hand to the new-old home of his family. For that was what she was now to him, his second half, the only friend and the closest family member – everything that remained for him in the Galaxy. And while anywhere else than here on this Makerforsaken desert planet people would hunt for him to rightfully judge and execute him for his many crimes, Tatooine was the ideal hideout – and as long as she was willing to stay here with him, he would not protest against the insufferable heat of the twin suns, nor the sand or the fact that they were practically exiled here. It was a miracle that he was even allowed to walk at her side – and he was going to treasure it as such.

When they reached the Lars-Skywalker homestead, Rey offered him his Uncle’s youth bedroom as he understood from the sparse old decoration and the familiar Force sensation and left to get more supplies. He supposed her ship must be hidden somewhere close by – and he probably should have accompanied her there to guard her against any possible attacks. But this new and unexpected reality was taking its toll on him and he felt terribly weary. Luke’s bed was calling to him invitingly and he soon thankfully sank his head onto the old, surprisingly not all too dusty pillow. Rey likely had slept here already he thought fleetingly – but before he could ponder on it any longer, he fell asleep, his sleep for once deep and dreamless.

\-----

Rey was – happy, relieved, no longer alone… All of that and yet she would not describe any of her current feelings as such per se. She simply was glad that the fate changed for the better – at least she supposed – no, hoped – that it was for the better anyway. Hopefully she was not wrong.

At the same time, she longed to be alone for an instant, not to have the resurrected Ben Solo at her side for a moment, not until she truly could understand the magnitude of the gift the Force itself had granted to her.

She was gathering her remaining supplies to bring them back to the homestead when she felt it again – a tingle of the Force against her skin. She turned around swiftly, suddenly very much missing the two Lightsabers she had given up earlier – to face a smiling Luke Skywalker and his sister once more.

“Masters,” she bowed her head slightly in respect. “I am glad to see you.”

“And we you,” Leia replied politely, her tone regal as ever.

Luke dismissed such platitudes and straight off asked: “You wished to speak to us, I believe?”

Rey felt slightly ashamed at being caught – but then she really wanted to speak to someone about what had happened. “Yes,” she nodded. “Ben –“ and suddenly words failed her. What exactly did she want to ask – _is it permanent, am I not only dreaming, will he – we – be alright, what shall we do now, should I tell the others?_ She did not know – but apparently there was no need for her to voice her questions aloud.

“It was very kind of you, Rey, to call him back like that,” Leia smiled at her.

“It has been unheard of – but then Ben was not truly dead,” Luke offered his bit. “Not yet, anyway. But you should keep an eye on him – it won’t be easy for him to truly find himself again.”

Leia nodded: “When he decided to finally change his ways and come to help you defeat Palpatine, he expected to die there. In a way it would have been much easier – and perhaps also much kinder to him.”

“But you managed to help him overcome a bigger struggle. You shall succeed also now.” Luke finished for his sister, and he sounded firm in his belief.

Leia smiled softly at her in turn. “Give him my love.” And she moved towards Rey and the young woman felt a fleeting sensation of a kiss on her cheek. Then Leia’s ghost faded away.

Luke’s Force apparition gave her another of his mysterious smiles and he too disappeared into thin air.

Rey stood there, not sure if she got her much needed advice or not – but she did not feel alone any longer, she felt the support of both her former masters – and perhaps that was enough.

\-----

When she returned to the homestead, Ben was fast asleep; his once harsh features softened by the dream. She pulled a chair towards his bed and for a moment simply watched him sleep. The angry scar on his face had faded by her healing on Endor and most likely also by his resurrection – he looked years younger like this. And more importantly – for the first time since she had met him, he seemed at peace.

With a bit of hesitation she reached forward and tucked an unruly dark curl behind his ear. He did not even stir – clearly feeling safe here, despite of the “here” being Tatooine.

Mentally, she shook her head in disbelief. Tatooine was about as safe as Jakku as far as she had heard. But then she was able to survive there too – and back then it was her alone only. Now they were two. She smiled at her sleeping companion, glad for them being here together. And then she sensed it too and felt reassured that what had happened was for the better – for it was indeed peaceful and calm here for the time being and they have both more than earned that.

Yes, Tatooine was the best place for them right now.

**Author's Note:**

> The title was taken from Luke Skywalker's statement: "If there's a bright center to the universe, you're on the planet that it's farthest from." (From Star Wars: A New Hope).
> 
> This is a two-shot only. Should you prefer any longer works on redemption (of Anakin, though, not Ben Solo), check my profile.
> 
> Happy Christmas and all the best for the year 2020!


End file.
